


Raising Enigma

by InterNutter



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen, quasi-crossover, strange fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-21
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 16:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/851556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InterNutter/pseuds/InterNutter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of the many 'baby scouts' from ST:DS9 lands in the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy, being a natural nurturer, winds up becoming 'mom'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raising Enigma

Disclaimer: Hasbro owns all the ponies and Equestria. Paramount owns the concept of Changeling shapeshifters as orange goo. I only own this mess.

Raising Enigma  
InterNutter

It was a clear, bright night. One of the ones where Princess Luna made the sky seemingly full of stars. This one was also full of meteors, trailing golden glitter across the night like a race of sparklers.

One grew very bright, indeed.

It roared over Fluttershy's house, causing all her friends to erupt in their own cacophony. She just got them to calm down when there was an earth-shaking rumble in the Everfree Forest.

And just when she got them calmed down *again*...

"Fluttershy!"

"Meep!" She had to force herself not to faint. It was, after all, only her five best friends. "Please be quiet. I only just got all my animal friends to calm down again."

Angel looked very annoyed at this, pretending that he wasn't the least bit frightened at all. Ever.

"Sorry, Fluttershy," said Twilight. "But Princess Luna says that none of the meteors were supposed to come close to landing. She and Princess Celestia have asked us to go investigate the meteorite."

"Ah thought you said it was a meteor shower..." said Applejack.

Twilight sighed. "Meteors are only meteors while they're going through the air," she said in the patient tones of somepony who'd had to explain this a number of times already. "They become meteorites if they land."

"Dang silly way t' organize it if'n you ask me."

"I think that horrible thing may have passed close to Zecora's," said Rarity. "We simply must check up on her along the way.

"Of course," said Fluttershy. "Angel? Be sure to look after everyone while I'm gone, okay?"

Angel folded his arms, harrumphed, took a second look into Fluttershy's pleading eyes and surrendered with a nod.

"There's my good boy..." she kissed his bunny head and crept along after the others. "I do hope Zecora's okay..."

*

"I am well, you have the proof. That meteorite barely missed my roof." The exotic zebra pointed a hoof further into the tangled and gloomy green. "If you search that way, you will see - it landed in the Woeful Valley."

"W-w-woeful... V-v-valley?" Fluttershy stuttered.

"Rest your fears, it is misnamed, lass."

"Whew."

"It's actually a kind of crevasse," supplied Zecora.

*

There weren't many obstacles. All the regular inhabitants of Everfree had fled from the impending crash and were staying away from the steaming crater.

"We have to be careful," warned Twilight.

"I know!" Pinkie cheered. "It's still super-duper hot from burning through the air!"

"Actually, it's beyond freezing cold from being in the depths of space," corrected Twilight. "Rainbow? I need you and Fluttershy to blow that steam away with your wings. We need to see what's down there to make further plans. Rarity and I will make some light."

Pinkie and Applejack, left without anything productive to do, peered into the crater as the Unicorns and Pegasii went to work.

"I see some metal petals!" Pinkie shouted.

"Ah think that meteorite went and busted itself up," said Applejack.

"But if it was Starmetal... It wouldn't have broken," Twilight moved over the lip of the crater to see. "Maybe it was a rubble-type asteroid that broke up."

"Ah thought you said it was a meteorite."

"Many meteors start off as asteroids. It's only when they hit our air that they become meteors. Or meteorites."

"Urf. Ah sure wish somepony'd make up their mind as to what things are..."

"It's really very simple," Twilight began.

"No it ain't. And please don't try to explain it again, 'cause Ah'd end up more confused than Ah am already."

"There's something else down there," said Rainbow. "Something moving."

"Is it alive?" asked Fluttershy.

"What could live in an asteroid?" pondered Pinkie.

"Meteor," corrected Applejack.

"Meteorite," corrected Twilight.

"Whatever," said both Earth Ponies.

The whatever-it-was in the middle came into view. It looked like a golden puddle, except it was pouring itself slowly around the bottom of the crater. Alternately touching and shrinking away from the petal-shaped shards of Starmetal.

"That's a pretty perplexing puddle..." evaluated Twilight. "Can you talk to it, Fluttershy?"

"I can try," the yellow pegasus offered.

Fluttershy edged down the crater's inside and hunkered to a halt between two of the 'petals' - each almost as big as she was. "Hello?" she risked. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. At least... I won't try to hurt you."

If the living puddle could hear her, it gave no sign.

"You're as new to me as I'm new to you," Fluttershy continued. "I'd like to know what you find nice, and even know what you find nasty. Because I'd like to be nice to you."

The living puddle touched her left-front knee, then crawled up and over her shoulders to cling tight to her saddle.

"Bbbbrrrrrrr... You're so chilly! Well. Twilight did say that things from the stars were cold. But don't worry. I'll help you keep warm. Now, I'm going to start moving up and out of the crater. Don't be scared, now." Fluttershy spread her wings over the strange creature on her back and gingerly climbed back out.

"What is it?" said Rarity.

"I'm not exactly sure," said Fluttershy, "but I think it likes me."

The puddle-creature burbled as if in assent.

Fluttershy giggled. "That tickles!"

"Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack... We need to rig something so we can take the Starmetal back to Ponyville," said Twilight. "I don't think anypony wants to stick around here."

"Darn tootin'," said Applejack.

*

It was creeping close to dawn when the six friends and their burdens reached Fluttershy's cottage.

"Sure you'll be okay with that-- whatever-it-is?"

"I'm fine," said Fluttershy. "This isn't the first all-nighter I've pulled with a baby. But--"

"Yes?"

"It needs a name."

"A name. For that?" said Pinkie. "How 'bout Puddleglump? Or Drip?"

"Goldie?" suggested Rarity. "Gleam?"

"Lumpy!" Rainbow insisted. "Goobert!"

"Cider Stream?" said Applejack.

"Crux?" said Twilight. "Enigma?"

"Enigma almost sounds like a proper name," Fluttershy nodded." What does it mean?"

"It's another word for 'mystery'. And this little... creature is certainly a mystery."

"Well?" Fluttershy asked the rippling glob on her back. "How do you like 'Enigma' for a name?"

The creature gave its burbling purr.

"Enigma it is."

*

Fluttershy didn't advertise it, but she had something of a sense for what her animal friends wanted. Though in Angel's case, it was to cause trouble. She could sense her new friend was getting tired.

"I don't know what kind of bed you'd like," she was saying to it as she examined her spares. "You might leak out of a basket. Or a crib. Or a cage. And I don't want anyone trying to drink you. Or bathe in you. What if I lined a basket with my waterproof cape? It's warm and cosy and it should keep you safe." she showed Enigma her improvised result. "What do you think?"

Enigma answered by sliding off of her back and pouring itself into the basket.

"Nice?"

Burble-purr.

"All right, then. Just to make sure you're safe while I nap, I'm going to carry you upstairs so you'll be with me. It's just one night. Um. I mean... early morning. We can both rest together." Fluttershy lifted the basket and carried it upstairs. She placed it just so by her beside and climbed under her covers. "Sweet dreams, Enigma."

*

The Starmetal petals were also a perplexing puzzle. They could not be broken by ordinary means. They took immense amounts of heat without melting, or even starting to grow soft.

Twilight kept one for her own studies, and one for Fluttershy. If her creature one day wanted answers, it would be best for her to have a relic.

Fluttershy had outright said the creature was a baby. Who knew what it could do when it grew up?

The rest of the petals went by courier to Canterlot - and from there, possibly, to every pony scientist in Equestria in order to divine it's composition or properties. Or even a point of origin.

"Hoo." Owloysious pushed one of the throw pillows onto her notes.

"Not now, Owloysious." Twilight shoved it off her work table. "I'm beginning to think some of these marks are some kind of language. If I can just figure it out..."

"Hoo." This time, he dropped the pillow on her head.

"Owloysious..." she flung the pillow aside.

"Hoo!" A wing pointed out the window. Dawn was threatening to overcome the sky.

"Whoops. Okay. Maybe a nap. Then I can tackle this with a fresh mind. Sorry I was short with you."

"Hoo." Now the wing pointed up to her bed.

"No excuses. I get it." Twilight yawned. "Good morning, then."

*

It was a late morning. Even after her regular stimulants, Rarity found herself sluggish and dozing during quiet moments in her shop.

{tingtingting}

"No, not the puce!" Rarity blurted.

"Um. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything." What right did Fluttershy have to be so Celestia-damned bright and breezy after last night?

"No, no, it's fine, dear. What's the problem?"

"Enigma needs a carry-bag. I improvised with what I had," a gesture to the basket at her feet, "but I can't carry it everywhere and he *is* a baby. He needs to rest at the oddest hours."

Enigma, perched between Fluttershy's wings, squeezed a squeaky toy between pseudopods.

It was like watching somepony chewing tinfoil.

Motivation enough to whip up a little something. Waterproof material. More than sufficient capacity. Adjustable top, so it could be snugged down, propped up, or folded out of the way. Same with the counter-saddlebag. Just in case Enigma wanted to swap sides. And it would do for toys or accessories.

Simple straps for ease of donning and doffing. Allowance for the wings, of course.

*Squii!*

Soundproofing? No. Might be a bad idea. Hm. Better make the saddlebag flaps openable from the inside. Enigma looked to be the exploratory type.

*Squii!* *Squii...*

Triple-stitched for safety and security. A butterfly in the right colours to dispel claims of ownership. Done and--

*SQUII!*

...done.

"Such a strong little... whatever he is," Rarity managed. Enigma was just a baby. He couldn't possibly understand. "I'm certain Pinkie may find him entertaining. Somewhere away from the Cake babies, if they're sleeping. Of course."

*squii...*

"Thankyou so much. I didn't mean to be such a trouble."

"Nothing to it, dear. Nothing to it. Both of you run along, now."

Fluttershy wriggled into her new pack and collected Enigma. She also left a generous payment in Rarity's till.

Aah... Peace and quiet.

*

"Squee!"

*squii!*

"Come on, you can say it. Squee!"

"Pinkie, Enigma is just a baby. I don't think they can--"

"Squii," said Enigma.

Fluttershy gaped. "Clever Enigma," she breathed. "Well done."

"Yay! I knew she could."

"Or 'he'," corrected Fluttershy. "We don't know if Enigma's a male or a female. And we can't exactly tell..." the conversation meandered from there. Any conversation with Pinkie Pie was surreal at best.

"...and that's how the toast exploded!" Pinkie finished.

Fluttershy did what everypony did when Pinkie had finished explaining something, which was mentally rewind the previous ten minutes to see if any logical sense could be forced out of what Pinkie had said. Since she found none, Fluttershy was forced to come up with her own nonsequiteur. "Where's Enigma?"

"Ponyfeathers!" Pinkie dashed around like a mad thing, calling for Enigma.

Fluttershy checked the saddlebag/carrier. Then she looked around the picnic blanket for any sign and also checking their things. A loaf of bread. Enigma's squeaky toy. A jug of cider. And Enigma's squeaky toy.

Wait a second.

Enigma only had one squeaky toy.

Fluttershy put them both together. She was loath to squeeze one, lest she hurt her young charge. "Enigma? Come out, please?"

One rubber ball melted and transformed into the orange blob of goo Fluttershy knew so well.

She nuzzled her 'child'. "That is very, very clever, Enigma, but you did frighten me. I got worried you'd been snatched up. Or hurt. Please don't worry me like that again?"

Enigma returned to being a ball, but this time, it was yellow with a butterfly on it, instead of the original ball's multicoloured stripes and a star.

"Very, very, *very* clever, Enigma," Fluttershy cheered. "Mama's so proud."

"Whoah. Enigma can turn into things? That is so... So... Fantastic! Wait 'till everypony sees this. Maybe it's Enigma's special talent?"

"We'll see," Fluttershy allowed. "Enigma's a baby, not a circus. And right now I really, really have to go borrow some books for Twilight. Um. If that's okay?"

"Sure," said Pinkie. "The twins should be waking up about now, anyway. Have fun!"

*

"...um...?"

Only one pony could squeak like that. Twilight looked up from her notes. "Fluttershy! What are you doing up so late?"

"Um. It's not late. Unless you mean late morning. It's actually almost lunchtime. Sorry."

"...really?" said Twilight.

"Believe it," said Spike as he passed by with more paper, quills and ink. "You've been writing at that desk so long Owloysious has fallen asleep."

"Wow. I didn't think I'd been working *that* long. Way past time for a break. What brings you here, Fluttershy?"

"I need everything you've got on parenting other species."

"...parenting?"

"Enigma's... Smart. They turned into a copy of their ball. And when I explained they scared me... Enigma changed the colours. Even copied my cutie mark."

"After less than a day?"

"And Enigma's been copying sounds."

"Squii," said Enigma.

"Clever creature," said Twilight. "I don't think there's a comprehensive study on xenoparenting..."

"...um...?"

"Parenting creatures that aren't us," Twilight explained. She drew books off the shelves. Flipped through pages. "I'll see if I can find some common points. I know ponykind has never seen anything like Enigma, before."

"Anything could help?"

"Clawhoof's Cautionary Chronicles has a few stories about ponies who decided to raise other species... Though none of those ever end well..."

"Oh dear," said Fluttershy.

"Periwinkle's Peripatetic Perils has some known habits of non-pony species... But nothing about anything that looks or acts like Enigma."

"I like to think of that as good news," said Fluttershy.

**Author's Note:**

> I have not given up on this, though my pro!works take precedence. I'm planning to have Enigma mimic a younger pony body [the baby Cakes?] and enter into education. Instead of finding prejudice, hate and distrust as the Trek!Changelings predict, Enigma finds love and tolerance [amongst other things] amongst pony kind.
> 
> It may yet have a sad patch because Trek!Changelings are immortal, and ponies... aren't.


End file.
